Bone is an essential part of the squeletton. Besides its mechanic properties, bone has an important role in metabolism regulation because it acts as a reservoir for the storage of minerals essential to ... [more ▼]

Bone is an essential part of the squeletton. Besides its mechanic properties, bone has an important role in metabolism regulation because it acts as a reservoir for the storage of minerals essential to provide homeostasy. This article describes bone morphology and different ways of classification of this tissue. It gives the composition of organic and mineral extracellular bone matrix, underlines the dynamic character of bone tissue, details the cellular morphology and the metabolism of the elements acting on the synthesis/resorption mechanisms : osteoprogenitor cells, osteoblasts, osteocyts and osteoclasts. It relates the histogenesis of bone tissue and develops the different types of ossification: intramembranous, periostic, endochondral and osteonal remodeling. The last part of this article describe some dietetary and hormonal influences on bone tissue. [less ▲]

OBJECTIVE: To assess morphologic and metabolic abnormalities in dogs with early left ventricular dysfunction (ELVD) induced by rapid right ventricular pacing (RRVP). ANIMALS: 7 Beagles. PROCEDURE: Plasma carnitine concentrations were measured before and after development of ELVD induced by RRVP. At the same times, transvenous endomyocardial biopsy was performed, and specimens were submitted for determination of myocardial carnitine concentrations and histologic, morphometric, and ultrastructural examination. RESULTS: In 4 dogs in which baseline plasma total carnitine concentration was normal, RRVP induced a decrease in myocardial total and free carnitine concentrations and an increase in myocardial esterified carnitine concentration. In 3 dogs in which baseline plasma total carnitine concentration was low, plasma and myocardial carnitine concentrations were unchanged after pacing. Structural changes associated with pacing included perinuclear vacuolization in 3 dogs. Morphometric analyses indicated there was a decrease in myofiber cross-sectional diameter and area following pacing. Electron microscopy revealed changes in myofibrils and mitochondria following pacing. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that moderate to severe alterations in myocyte cytoarchitecture are present in dogs with ELVD induced by RRVP and that in dogs with normal plasma carnitine concentrations, myocardial carnitine deficiency may be a biochemical marker of ELVD. Results also indicated that transvenous endomyocardial biopsy can be used to evaluate biochemical and structural myocardial changes in dogs with cardiac disease. [less ▲]

The ultrastructure of bovine platelets was examined by transmission electron microscopy without any pretreatment (control), and after WEB 2086 (a triazolodiazepine) or ketoprofen (NSAID) pretreatment ... [more ▼]

The ultrastructure of bovine platelets was examined by transmission electron microscopy without any pretreatment (control), and after WEB 2086 (a triazolodiazepine) or ketoprofen (NSAID) pretreatment, followed by PAF infusion. The blood platelet count was also investigated. The group of calves that received WEB 2086 pretreatment before platelet-activating factor (PAF) infusion did not show a decreased number of platelets. However, in the other group, with ketoprofen pretreatment before PAF infusion, there was a rapid decrease from 1 to 3 min, while from 5 min the number of platelets recovered to the normal value. Electron microscopy revealed that pretreatment with WEB 2086 followed by PAF infusion did not alter the morphological ultrastructure of bovine platelets, except that the microtubules were briefly modified from 1 until 3 min after PAF challenge. After ketoprofen pretreatment, bovine platelets kept their regular shape, the number of dense bodies was not significantly altered, the number of mitochondria was maintained from 5 min after PAF infusion, giant platelets were not observed and the Golgi apparatus was rarely visible. Thus pretreatment with WEB 2086 and ketoprofen before PAF infusion had a protective activity on the ultrastructure of bovine platelets and, in cattle, pretreatment with WEB 2086 and ketoprofen before PAF challenge prevented the thrombocytopenia induced by PAF. [less ▲]

The influence of platelet activating factor (PAF) was investigated in vivo on the ultrastructure of bovine platelets, and on the platelet count. The effect of an intravenous administration of ketoprofen ... [more ▼]

The influence of platelet activating factor (PAF) was investigated in vivo on the ultrastructure of bovine platelets, and on the platelet count. The effect of an intravenous administration of ketoprofen (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) pretreatment followed by PAF infusion was also observed in a group of six healthy male Friesian calves. PAF infusion alone caused a moderate thrombocytopenia, which peaked one minute post challenge and returned to levels not significantly different from control after 30 min. Electron microscopy revealed that after PAF infusion, platelets lost their lentiform shape and became irregular, with many pseudopods. Their microtubules became impossible to distinguish. The numbers of alpha granules and dense bodies were significantly decreased. Glycogen particles became rare or even disappeared. Giant platelets occasionally appeared. The Golgi apparatus was more often visible and the number of mitochondria was significantly increased. Ketoprofen pretreatment lowered PAF-induced thrombocytopenia and decrease in the number of dense bodies. Under these conditions, the Golgi apparatus was rarely visible and giant platelets were not observed. These results showed that the morphological ultrastructure of blood platelets in bovines were modified following PAF infusion and that ketoprofen pretreatment before PAF infusion provided partial protection, limiting the extent of the morphological alterations and maintaining a normal platelet count [less ▲]

The sensitivity of bovine platelet aggregation in response to PAF stimulation and the ability of WEB 2086 (a thieno-triazolodiazepine) to inhibit response to PAF-induced platelet aggregation were ... [more ▼]

The sensitivity of bovine platelet aggregation in response to PAF stimulation and the ability of WEB 2086 (a thieno-triazolodiazepine) to inhibit response to PAF-induced platelet aggregation were investigated in the blood from five healthy male Belgian Blue calves. The recorded response to PAF showed a plateau which was dependent on the PAF concentration. Platelet aggregation induced by PAF consists of two mechanisms: reversible and irreversible aggregations which are accompanied by the release of platelet granule contents. Reversible aggregation occurred above (2 . 10(-9) mol/l) PAF, and irreversible aggregation occurred above (2 . 10(-7) mol/l) PAF. Addition of WEB 2086 to bovine platelets in vitro induced a rightward shift in the dose-response curve to PAF. WEB 2086 inhibited PAF-induced aggregation in a competitive reversible manner (pA2 = 7.61). The results of our study show that PAF induces platelet aggregation in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and that addition of WEB 2086 to bovine platelets in vitro inhibits PAF-induced Platelet Aggregation. [less ▲]